Surely one of the most bizarre statements McHugh has ever uttered and that's saying something given his past utterances.

mlcollins (Kerry) - Posts: 440 - 04/08/2014 11:22:30    1631079

I nearly choked on me dutch gold when he was commenting about gooch.

Got to hand it to him though, He is a gas man, bless him!

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13654 - 04/08/2014 11:46:19    1631103

I have no problem with this opinion that O'Donoghue is better than Cooper. I don't agree with it but they are both great footballers. However I don't agree with the 2 trick pony thing...I'm not sure even what he is insinuating that these 2 tricks are. He sort of ruined his point by making what appears to be a slant on Cooper anyway.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1433 - 04/08/2014 11:51:59    1631106

The Gooch is the greatest forward I've ever seen followed by Peter Canavan , come back to me in ten years time and maybe I might have changed my mind.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/08/2014 12:07:47    1631119

All Gooch can do is score and set up scores lol in fairness it was a ridiculous statement. O'Donoghue is shaping up to be a brilliant player but will have to do it over an extended period of time to be compared favourably to the Gooch.

JP91 (Armagh) - Posts: 316 - 04/08/2014 12:17:39    1631128

Cooper's averaged five points from play in the All-Ireland senior finals that he's played in. He's won almost everything bar the All-Ireland club championship, and he hasn't been too far away from doing that. He's performed well against pretty much every top side since he started playing at the top level. For McHugh to say he's hyped-up is nonsense.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 04/08/2014 12:23:34    1631135

Colm Cooper is the best footballer I have ever seen in my life. Bar none. I have followed gaa a long time, and I have seen the very best kerry teams play right back from the 80s up to the present day. Cooper is the best.

I do understand why McHugh is belittling him, 2 reasons. First one is attention to himself as a journalist. The second one is more simply that McHugh was a fab player in his day, but not half the player Gooch is.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3852 - 04/08/2014 12:27:43    1631140

Who dare slate the Gooch. Legend.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 04/08/2014 12:34:49    1631149

Personally I think there's a little bit of Donegal gamesmanship going on by Mc Hugh here. He's bigging up Kerry's best player in the hope the hype etc will possibly unsettle him for a potential clash with Tir Chonaill. Maybe he feel's the retired O' Se brothers are using their media influence to deflect attention from Kerry and is doing likewise for his own? Just my opinion.

RightFull (Monaghan) - Posts: 75 - 04/08/2014 12:45:11    1631163

There is alot of rubbish talked in our games between brolly and mchugh to say the least, carney is not much better I think from now on I am going to turn to something else once the analysis starts.

I would like to see Oision McConville on that panel I think he is one of the best pundits around and is up to date only having left the game recently as a player and still involved as Cross Manager.

muckla (UK) - Posts: 370 - 04/08/2014 12:46:37    1631164

O'Donoghue may become a brilliant footballer, but will never be as good as the gooch. All you have to do is watch Colm Cooper against Dublin last year, how he controlled the play throughout the game for Kerry, and this against a Dublin team that were brilliant last year, and this shows you the level of his play. Also, there is a big difference between performing against Cork, and Galway, and being the main player in a team that won 4 AI.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1664 - 04/08/2014 13:08:02    1631184

I doubt the ledgendry Gooch will be losing any sleep

richardcrowe (Mayo) - Posts: 61 - 04/08/2014 13:10:54    1631186

I actually mute my TV when the football analysis is on RTE. Pure Joke.

All they seem to do is slate amateur players who give up their time to play a sport to love only to be beat down by a bunch of lads from the 80s.

Its over analyzed and players I think at this stage are even fed up of it.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 04/08/2014 13:56:16    1631213

RightFull
County: Monaghan
Posts: 19

1631163
Personally I think there's a little bit of Donegal gamesmanship going on by Mc Hugh here. He's bigging up Kerry's best player in the hope the hype etc will possibly unsettle him for a potential clash with Tir Chonaill. Maybe he feel's the retired O' Se brothers are using their media influence to deflect attention from Kerry and is doing likewise for his own? Just my opinion.

Unlikely. There is too much football to be played on both sides of the draw, and for that reason there is nothing to be gained by biging up a player. Plus, I would see Mayo being a much bigger threat than kerry to whoever they meet in the final. It was still a very odd comment nonetheless. I agree with another poster that McConville is an excellent pundit, as is Wheelan. Oshea is a great analyst too. Its a pity that the better analysts are forgotten in place of people who make these astonishing comments.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3852 - 04/08/2014 14:28:36    1631238

What McHugh failed to recognise is that the Gooch, in the Autumn of his career, proved last year that he is still extremely dangerous as a playmaker. Will the same be said of JOD in 8 or 10 years time? We 'll have to wait and see !

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8795 - 04/08/2014 14:39:34    1631249

Rightfull
I was thinking the same thing my self.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 04/08/2014 14:59:26    1631263

Gooch Cooper is arguably one of the Greatest footballers ever and a decent down to earth man.

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 804 - 04/08/2014 15:34:15    1631289

Cooper's averaged five points from play in the All-Ireland senior finals that he's played in

That doesn't sound right, and I think the Gooch is the best player in Ireland so I'm not being contrary for the sake of it.

Anyway what the hell is a two-trick pony, bizarre statement.

MichaelO (Tyrone) - Posts: 820 - 04/08/2014 15:51:23    1631299

benjyyy
County: Donegal
Posts: 1044

1631106
I have no problem with this opinion that O'Donoghue is better than Cooper. I don't agree with it but they are both great footballers. However I don't agree with the 2 trick pony thing...I'm not sure even what he is insinuating that these 2 tricks are. He sort of ruined his point by making what appears to be a slant on Cooper anyway.
Here here well put Bengy that's actually what were all thinking, fair enough your entitle to your opinion but to then call the Gooch a two trick pony is were people have a problem.... Ridiculous statement about the Gooch

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/08/2014 16:34:05    1631323

Lads he's looking for attention.

He also accused Dublin of not beating Donegals system in 2012 even though the won the match.

Strange fish.

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 04/08/2014 18:19:27    1631384